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10 years - ANNIVERSARY EDITION TRAKIA JOURNAL OF SCIENCES Trakia Journal of Sciences, Vol. 10, No 3, pp 48-52, 2012 Copyright © 2012 Trakia University Available online at: http://www.uni-sz.bg ISSN 1313-7050 (print) ISSN 1313-3551 (online)

Original Contribution AGE MORPHOMETRY OF SOME INTERNAL ORGANS IN COMMON ( COLCHICUS COLCHICUS)

D. Yovchev1*, R. Dimitrov1, D. Kostov1, D. Vladova2

1Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, 2Department of Morphology, Physiology and Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria

ABSTRACT AIM: To determine some morphometrical parameters of pheasant internal organs. MATERIALS: We studied 30 colchis , divided in three groups (each group was consisted of 5 males and 5 females) at 15, 17 and 19 weeks of age. METHODS: Following euthanasia and evisceration, the digestive tract was separated in segments, corresponded to its different parts (esophagus, crop, proventriculus, gizzard, small intestine, caeca and rectum). The weight of digestive structures, heart, liver, spleen and testicles was determined by electronic scale and the length of the tubular digestive organs was measured with ruler and graph paper. The results were collected and recorded. The obtained data was processed via variable statistical methods. RESULTS: The body weight of the female was significantly lower than that of the male ones. In males the gizzard’s percent decreased significantly through the whole investigative period. The proventriculus and heart proportions were almost the same with age advancing. Females were with heavier livers and spleens than males, but the spleen difference was without statistical significance. The length of the crop, esophagus and intestines had lower values in males, compared to females CONCLUSION: The older male and female pheasants had significantly shorter tubular digestive organs. The youngest male individuals had heavier liver, compare to the females. These alterations of the morphometrical parameters in the pheasant internal organs are provoked by dimorphism influence.

Key words: morphometry, internal organs, pheasant

INTRODUCTION structures and segments, as well in the length The pheasants are birds widely spread all over and weight. These features are connected with the world. They are part of the suborder the amount and of food, season Galloanserae, order , conditions, species characteristics, age, sex, . These birds are found in Europe, housing type, ambient temperatures, etc (2, 3). Asia, North America, some areas of South America, the southern parts of and There is data available, concerning the (1). structure and the weights and lengths of the digestive tract and its segments. A lot of ’ digestive system has different authors investigate the major pheasant internal variations, which are mainly observed in the organs, such as heart, liver, gizzard, spleen, ______lung, testicles and intraorbital glands and find *Correspondence to: David Yovchev, Department the correlative effect among the pheasant of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, housing, conditions and sex on the organs’ Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, weight (4, 5, 6). 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, Tel: + 359 42 699 657, e-mail: [email protected] In the wild nature the have adaptive mechanisms for rational use of feed resources,

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YOVCHEV D., et al. because of the irregular finding of food. Due to weight similar to this of the flock were the conditions of life and seasons’ cycle selected. The birds were weighed on automatic variations in the weight and length of their weightier. The experimental were different digestive system aren’t often euthanized and then eviscerated. The digestive observed. In individuals bred voliery, there are tract was separated in segments, which many adaptive alterations, concerning the corresponded to its different parts (esophagus, morphometrical parameters of the digestive crop, proventriculus, gizzard, small intestine, organs, because of the regular access to food caeca and rectum). The weight of digestive (7). structures, heart, liver, spleen and testicles was determined by electronic scale with accuracy The morphometrical parameters of of 0.1 g and was calculated as percentage of pheasant are investigated by (7). They find that body weight. The length of the tubular pheasants, bred voliery have smaller gizzards, digestive organs was measured with ruler and proventricules, hearts and testis, but bigger graph paper with accuracy of 1 mm. The liver and spleen. The lenght of the digestive experiments were done in strict compliance system and its segments is greater in the birds, with the Institutional Committee of Animal bred with feed mixture for commercial Health Care in the Trakia University, Stara purposes. Zagora. The statistical analyses of the obtained data (arithmetic means and standard errors According to some authors (8) the red-legged (SE) and Student’s t-test between age groups fed for commercial purposes have and ) were processed with statistical lighter gizzards and shorter intestines, than the birds bred in the summer season and fed with software StatView™ v. 4.53 for Windows fibre-rich diet. (Abacus Concepts, Inc).

The length of the bird intestines and their RESULTS segments differs in birds fed on fruit and It was found by the present study that the insects then in carnivorous individuals as the pheasants at 15, 17 and 19 weeks of age had a first have shorter intestines (9). relatively high weight. The body weight of the female birds’ three aged groups was Statistical studies are performed by (10, 11) in significantly lower than that of the male ones, chicks and pheasants. The results show provoked by the one of ’s an age related specification, concerning the manifestation. In males the gizzard’s digestive structures’ length. The relative length percentage decreased significantly through the of the small intestine and caeca demonstrate whole investigative period, and in females- regression and decrease with age. The percent only between 15th and 17th week. At 19th week weight of the pheasant glandular stomach of age the males had significantly lower reduces toward the slaughter body weight. gizzard than females. With the age, the proventriculus and heart proportions were The scarce data about morphometrical features almost the same. There were significant of common pheasant (Phasianus Coclchicus differences in the heart percentage of female Coclchicus) internal organs was a motivation birds at 15 and 19 weeks of age. The liver’s to perform the present study. The obtained data proportion decreased with statistically could be useful as a base for standard values of significant levels in females with increasing the optimal parameters in these organs. age. Statistically significant difference in the

organ percentage between both sexes was MATERIALS AND METHODS th th th Object observed at 15 and 17 week. At 19 week, We studied 30 colchis pheasants, housing in although there wasn’t significant intersexual battery cages, divided in three groups (each difference, females were with heavier livers. group was consisted of 5 males and 5 females) The spleen’s proportion decreased reliably at 15, 17 and 19 weeks of age. Stocking only between males at 15 and 17 weeks of age. density of the studied birds was one bird per 1 As with the livers, the spleens had higher m2 approximately. The feeding was with proportion in females, than in males, but the finisher, containing 18.06% of protein and difference was without statistical significance. 2750 kcal ME/ kg. Five male and five female The testis percentage increased statistically birds at 15, 17 and 19 weeks of age with body with age (Table 1).

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YOVCHEV D., et al. Table 1. Proportional weight in total body weight (%) of some internal organs in males and females pheasants of different age

Age (weeks) and sex

Feature 15 17 19

males females males females males females

Gizzard, % x 1.9а 2.0b 1.7а 1.8b 1.5а 1.7* SE 0.07 0.08 0.08 0.06 0.08 0.07 Proventriculus, % x 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 SE 0.02 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.01 Liver, % x 2.0 2.2* 2.0 2.2 b* 1.9 2.0b SE 0.09 0.04 0.06 0.05 0.06 0.07 Heart, % x 0.5 0.6b 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.4b SE 0.02 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.02 Spleen, % x 0.1а 0.1 0.08а 0.09 0.07 0.08 SE 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.01 0.01 Testicles, % x 0.01 - 0.02а - 0.04а - SE 0.002 0.004 0.005 a, b – mean values of features in rows with distinct letters, singly for males and females, differ significantly (P ≤ 0.05). * - mean values for different sexes of pheasants of the same age differ significantly.

The length of the crop, esophagus and esophagus, crop small intestines, caeca and intestines was with lower values in males, rectums and lower total intestinal length than compared to females in the three aged groups. the younger individuals (Table 2). The older birds had lower relative length of the

Table 2. Body weight and relative length of segments of the digestive tract in pheasants of both sexes at different age

Age (weeks) and sex

Feature 15 17 19

males females males females males females

Body weight, g x 1185.4 938.6* 1253.7 956* 1310 988* SE 8.8 9.6 10.1 11.1 14.2 12.8 Esophagus and crop x 1.80 1.85 1.77 1.79 1.68 1.70 SE 0.25 0.17 0.09 0.15 0.29 0.24 Small intestine x 11.24 12.01* 10.65 11.86* 9.75 11.23* SE 0.70 0.74 0.52 0.64 0.69 0.70 Caeca x 4.21 4.76* 3.10 3.53 2.80 3.09* SE 0.11 0.19 0.15 0.12 0.18 0.14 Rectum x 0.90 0.97* 0.81 0.75* 0.68 0.70 SE 0.06 0.09 0.07 0.09 0.08 0.07 Total intestine x 18.6 19.1* 14.3 15.9* 13.8 14.1 SE 0.74 0.84 0.91 0.77 0.71 0.86 * - mean values for different sexes of pheasants of the same age differ significantly.

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YOVCHEV D., et al. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION had heavier liver, than females. All these The results of our study confirmed the attitude results proved the key importance of of many authors, that the age and sex have a dimorphism manifestation and age on pheasant significant role on digestive organs’ internal organs proportions. development. There were alterations observed in length as well as in width of the studied REFERENCES organs. 1. Amerah, M., Ravidran, V., Influence of method of whole-wheat feeding on the As many authors (4, 5 and 6) have studied performance, digestive tract development internal organs such as intraorbital glands, and carcass traits of broiler . Anim heart, proventriculus, gizzard, liver, spleen and Feed sci Technol 147: 326-339, 2008. testicles except pheasant digestive system, 2. Bartyzel, J., Karbowicz, M., Bartyzel, I., A important role and the influence of sex and age comparison of body and heart size between on their development was proved. the and Peckin . International Journal of Morphology, 29: 22-25, 2005. The studied birds were bred in voliery, and 3. Borin, K., Lindberg, E., Ogle, B., there were many adaptive changes observed, Digestibility and digestive organ concerning digestive organs’ morphometrical development in indigenous and improved parameters, because of regular feeding, that chickens and fed diets with was found by some authors (7). increasing inclusion levels of cassava feat meal. Journal of Animal Physiology and Our data confirmed the statistical results of (7) Animal Nutrition, 90: 230-237, 2006. that the dimorphism manifestation has a key 4. Brudnicki, W., Skoczylas, B., Brudnicki, role for body weight’s difference in both sexes. A., Cechy metryczne jelita bażanta The age and body weight of the studied birds, (Phasianus colchicus L) z hodowli used by these authors was close to the age of zamkniętej. Pr. Komis. Nauk the pheasants, investigated in our study. Rol.iBiol.BTN, 65: 29-32, 2008. 5. Kim, S., Yang, H., Seasonal changes of The length and weight of the gizzards, testicular weight, sperm production, serum proventriculus, hearts and testis in the studied testosterone, and in vitro testosterone pheasants in voliery were with decreased release in Korean ring-necked pheasants values with age progression, which (Phasianus colchicus karpowi). J Vet Med corresponded with the data of (7, 8). Sci,63: 151-6, 2001. 6. Dimitrov, D., S., Intraorbital glands in the Contrary to (9) there was no differentiation, common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus concerning the manner of bird feeding. The colchicus). Weight and morphometric fact, that the birds are herbivorous wasn’t parameters common pheasant. Journal of proved. Only the age and sex impact was Agriculture on the , 15: observed in details. 13-21, 2012. 7. Kokoszyńsky, D., Bernacki, Z., Cisowska, As (10, 11) a statistical study was performed. A., The effect of using whole wheat grain The results confirmed the findings of these in the diet of game pheasants on their body authors, that pheasant colchis females have weight, dimensions and development of significantly lower weight, compared to males. some internal organs. Folia biologica, 58: The gizzard and liver proportion showed the 83-93, 2010. same decreasing patterns, compared to testicles 8. Kokoszyńsky, D., Bernacki, Z., Cisowska, with age advance. The comparative length of A., Growth and development of young the intestines, caeca and rectums and the total game pheasants (Phasianus colchicus). length of the intestinal mass demonstrated Archiv Tierzucht, 54: 83-93, 2011. similar decreasing values, as found by (10, 11). 9. Langenfeld, S., Anatomy of a . PWN Warszawa-Kraków, 1992. The older male and female pheasants had 10. Millán, J., Gortazar, C., Villafuerte, R., significantly shorter small intestines, caeca and Does supplementary feeding affect organ rectums. The intestinal mass was shorter with and gut size of wild red-legged partridges age advancing in both sexes. The oldest males rufa? Wildl. Biol. 9: 229-233, had significantly lower gizzards, than females 2003. at the same age. The youngest male individuals 10 years - ANNIVERSARY EDITION 51 TRAKIA JOURNAL OF SCIENCES, Vol. 10, No 3, 2012

YOVCHEV D., et al. 11. Torgowski, J., The investigation over 12. StatView™ v. 4.53 for Windows (Abacus ability of digestion and accumulate of Concepts, Inc). Descriptive statistic. nitrogen in pheasants – Phasianus MacWeek, Morgenstem, David, 1995. colchicus (L.). Part 2. The macroscopic Copyright® 1988 Mac Publishing, study of digestive tract. Rocz. AR poznań, Michigan, USA. Zoot., 119: 81-88, 1980.

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